David Ortiz Upset with Ryan Dempster, Sticks Up for A-Rod

On Wednesday Alex Rodriguez told the assembled throngs of media he would be “shutting down” non-baseball talk. Even with that rare smart decision, the embattled Yankees third baseman still can find a way to make headlines.

“I didn’t like it. I don’t think it was the right thing to do,” Ortiz told USA TODAY Sports. “But we don’t all think alike, and the guy who did it, Dempster, is a great guy. It’s not that I didn’t think it was right because Alex and I are friends, because once you cross the white lines, everyone’s on their own.

“But we’ve got Tampa right on our heels, and that pitch woke up a monster in the Yankees’ team at that moment. You saw how the game ended up. CC (Sabathia) was throwing 91 (mph) and started throwing 96. Alex later hit one way out there. You’re talking about a good team that you can’t wake up. But we learn from our mistakes.”

Maybe that’s what people overlooked in the theatrics Sunday night at Fenway: Dempster deciding to plunk A-Rod might just have galvanized the Yankees. Ortiz isn’t too far off base thinking the plunking “woke up a monster.” The Yankees have won four straight and are now only four games out of a Wild Card spot. They’re still 6.5 games out in the AL East.

Of course the Yankees’ strong play could be a product of the utter ineptitude of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees are now 11-1 this season against the Canadian club, which many tabbed as the East division favorites in the offseason.

Anyways, a Red Sox sticking up for a Yankee? Reminds me of the immortal words of Dr. Peter Venkman.